By: Siti Nurrochmah Dani
10313244004
International Class of Mathematics Education
Every country has an education system that will organize the course of learning. Mathematics as one of the lessons learned around the world as a basic science also has its own way in the learning process. Various methods are used as a way to teach mathematics. Australia put forward the knowledge builder in mathematics learning, while the Japanese are more inclined to problem solving.
Mathematics education in Japan began to develop after World War II ended. Learning mathematics developed there more focused on problem solving activity on lesson study. But lesson study in Japan is not accompanied with the constructivist learning. So, lesson study as a method of discourse is less developed mathematical approach. There is still a very large role of the teacher to the learning of mathematics. The board is still a main media of learning problem solving process.
Lesson study in Japan is without accompanied with constructivist learning causing underdevelopment of mathematics education there. In this case mathematics education becomes authoritarian because there is less emphasis on the new paradigm of math, the constructivist learning. Lesson study is basically more inclined toward problem solving, where students are taught to build on his thinking, analyzing and solving problems. The goal of lesson study is to establish the creativity of student to solve a problem.
To date, problem solving is an important part of the nature of mathematics education is
1. Mathematics research for pattern and relationship.
2. Mathematics is problem solving activity.
3. Mathematics is investigation activity.
4. Mathematics is a mean of communication.
Basically the lesson study is used to optimize the learning of mathematics by emphasizing student activities. Strategies used in lesson study can be characterized as a teacher helping teacher, in a class where there are teachers who collaborate to develop and teach mathematics. Lesson study approach to solving this problem will form the creative students in solving problems, but in its application of Japanese lesson study is not the thing that is absolutely perfect in learning mathematics if not offset by the Constructivists learning.
In learning mathematics, the disaster in Japan was also taken as the topic of problems. The topics will be used to construct mathematical problems to be solved. Each student can have his own way to solve the problem. Disasters can also be identified as learning mathematics, when students are not ready for math and supporting components are also not ready, then the math will turn into a disaster for students. Therefore, the learning of mathematics should be studied according to their ability and readiness of students for the material.
Different in Australia, mathematics education is more focused on knowledge builder; Complex, multifaceted and flexible thinkers: Creative and innovative problem solvers; Effective Communicators and Collaborators; and Optimistic and Committed Learners (Dr Max Stephens, 2012). According to him, students learn the mathematics needed to result in five parts above, so students are competent and understand math by concepts and experiences.
Mathematics should be established by right concept, then student will catch what teacher talking and what student must be understood. To build it, we need modeling mathematics. Modeling mathematics is constructed by real object surrounding student. So, we need to introduce the real world to student. By learn with real object, student will aware why he/she must solve mathematics problem. Student also has motivation to solve problem surrounding her/him.
To build student’s knowledge by real world, we need observation by experience. Student is brought to direct observation by him/her self to see deeply real world of mathematics. From the observation, he/she will establish mathematics modeling called mathematics concrete model.
Mathematics real model is construct by many ways and introducing by many way too. Therefore, mathematics teacher must be creative to open problems in real world to built mathematics model. In fact, mathematics problem is close to us. Many ways can be applied when we find a problem in mathematics and student can solve it.
The relationship between mathematics world and real world is so close. We need mathematical world to mathematization real problem and we need real world to validity mathematical concept in real world. In other word we say mathematics realistic approach.
How about mathematics learning in Indonesia? Teaching learning mathematics in Indonesia is more complex, because Indonesia was adopted a little method mathematics education from Europe, Japan, and Australia. So, the characteristic of mathematics education in Indonesia have been finding out. Many method of learning mathematics was adopted and applied here. We can say that mathematics education of Indonesia is opened. We were finding identity of characteristic mathematics education.
We know that finding identity is a not stable phase. There are many problems or trouble in practices mathematics. One of it is lack of learning mathematics. We just learn all materials or topics but we don’t understand the topic deeply.
Mathematics learning in Indonesia is also fortified by government. The role of government policy in education is bigger than role of teacher to develop mathematics education.
Reference:
Stephens, Max.2012. Mathematical Modelling and Mathematical Education – What, why and how?
